Having owned a 996, (early, modded coupe), and driven a 997, I can say that the 997 seemed like a pretty huge improvement in nearly every way. From the obvious improvement in looks and interior to the increased power, active suspension, (perceived) better build quality, etc., it seemed not at all similar to a 996 to me. And I really liked my 996. It was a tough car.

Granted, my 996 was a beat-up example but it was still tight and I've also driven cream puff 996s. The 997 dash, especially without the sport chrono option, is one of the best looking 911 dashboards ever, IMO. The 996 is the worst. Same with the 996 door panels, etc. If all you care about is performance:buck and don't care about aesthetics, buy a beater Z-06 'vette. That will walk all over a stock 997. But who wants to live in that interior?

I think the 997 was a sweet spot for 911s, they are now overboard with technology, (almost) no manual trans, etc.

I'm not aware of any way to know with absolute certainty which IMS a 997 has. You can narrow down based on VIN and engine SN, but eventually you have to verify visually.

I totally agree on styling. But if you drive a late 996.2 and early 997.1, apples to apples, they are very similar driving cars. Underneath when turning wrenches they are nearly identical. Start adding goodies and all bets are off. PASM, Sport Chrono, and the S all give the 997 an edge. But they aren't cheap either.

I think someday the 997 will occupy a 993 like space in the waterpumper market. The 991 is more GT and not DIY friendly, the 996 isn't nearly as pretty.

Quick look on Autotrader revealed several sub- $35k 2005-on 911s.

Autotrader[POR[911[]][]]&listingId=396549249&Log=0

Autotrader[POR[911[]][]]&listingId=397212720&Log=0

Autotrader[POR[911[]][]]&listingId=396236302&Log=0

Autotrader[POR[911[]][]]&listingId=396212218&Log=0

Autotrader[POR[911[]][]]&listingId=395010913&Log=0

I'm not sure exactly when the IMS issue was solved, I heard it was Gen 2 from '09 on. Hopefully we can get a firm answer?

I answered the IMS question on page 1. It was greatly improved in late 2005 and eliminated in 2009 with the introduction of the 9A1 engine, which does not have an IMS.

Lowest price I've seen for a 1995 Carrera - 36K (Pano Classifieds)
Lowest price I've seen for a 2005 Carrera (or was it an 06 S) - 35K (local Craigslist)

I'm still wary of the IMS thing, though my buddy has had no issues with his, and he has an 06. If I had the money, I'd get a 993 AND a 997. :)

You don't have a Cayman, you ****ing robot. :)

Don't quote the bot, or at least, get rid of the hidden images.

No affiliation. 32k miles, speed yellow, new factory engine due to IMS failure, with 2 year warranty:

2005 Porsche Carrera 911 997 " New Engine "Mint. Condition" - $39500 (flushing)


2005 Porsche Carrera 911 997 " New Engine "Mint. Condition"

Sport seats too, my favorite option. $40k is getting steep for a base 997 though, you can find an S with a few more miles for the same price.

I have a 997S as my daily and love it. Like someone else said, the 997 will occupy the same space as the 993, a beloved return to a familiar shape. I have the ceramic bearing upgrade some suspension upgrades and a Tubi of exhaust. I will replace it with a 997 GTS eventually.

This would scratch the cab itch nicely...

2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S Convertible

Amazing that the 997 is coming down hard too.

I still don't have an interest in one of these IMS engines. So how about the TT, is that still nosebleed territory? Can we throw a few TT in there? My dream of once trading my 993 for a 993TT is out the window. It used to be a $30k upgrade, now it looks like a $100k upgrade ...

I thing the 997 GT3s are still high. That'd be fun too, but I really am due for a Turbo.

G

The 997 turbos are still at least $60k wholesale, and the GT3 are still over $100k wholesale for the 3.8. I suspect that the turbos will come down a little more, but with the 996TT generally bottomed out at $40k, I don't see the 997TT ever getting that cheap. With the 997 GT3 being the last manual transmission GT3, and the 996 GT3 already appreciating to $60k+, I don't see the 997 GT3 ever getting much cheaper. The 997 GT3 4.0 are already selling for nearly double their MSRP.:eek:

I just bought a 2006 997S today, it has 90k so it will be at the low end of 997S pricing. Atlas Gray (great color) over black, PASM, silver console, 19" Carrera Sport wheels, sport exhaust, sport chrono, and some other stuff I'm probably forgetting. Looks like a very nice car.

Where'd you find it? I may be interested. :cool:

Manheim Auctions, it had a really good inspection report. Probably no service records except for those on the Carfax (clean), that's the only big downside to the auctions.

What's the money on a pristine, low mileage 2009 997 or 997S with the 9A1 engine? I'd consider selling my '85 and upgrading.

60-70.
Nowhere as enticing as 05-08s sadly... And not a lot of them for sale either, low production numbers those years.

I'd say the 2009 997 is getting more spendy than I'm comfortable with. Not wanting to risk a total engine failure, it seems the way to go is with a 2005 with the old IMS style bearing that's been updated or have it updated. This sure looked nice, but I wouldn't want to risk the engine failure at all, and splitting the cases sounds too brutal.

2008 Porsche 911 Targa 4 with only 9,000 Miles Loaded

So worst case on a 997 is that you have to replace the engine. What's the chance of that? 5%? It looks like a replacement engine is about $15k installed. Yeah I'd take the 05-08.